Friends of Jung-South
Friends of Jung-South presents
A Presentation for Mental Health Clinicians and Persons Seeking Self-Development ​
Reimagining God & Religion:
Our Most Urgent Task
A Jungian Psychological Perspective
with
Jerry Wright, DMin
Jungian Analyst, Diplomate of Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts
Sooner or later nuclear physics and the psychology of the unconscious will draw closer together as both of them, independently of one another and from opposite directions, push forward into transcendental territory, the one with the concept of the atom, the other with the archetype.
—Jung, CW:9i:par408
Friday, January 31, 2020
Lecture 9 am – 1:30 pm CST
Saturday, February 1, 2020
Workshop 9 am – 1:30 pm CST
6 NBCC Contact Hours
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Shades Valley Presbyterian Church
2305 Montevallo Rd, Birmingham, AL 35223
Man’s worst sin is unconsciousness but it is indulged in with the greatest of piety
​even by those who should serve mankind as teachers and examples.
​—Jung, CW:9i; par 455
We are living in anxious uncertain times and in a divided country and world. Our situation has rightly been described in religious terms as a collective dark night of the soul. Psychologically, we are experiencing an eruption from the deep unconscious that demands a new level of consciousness for individuals and religious and political collectives. Jung once warned that “what we refuse to face inside meets us from the outside as fate.” His is an apt insight for scapegoat religions and politics that beg out attention.
In the Friday night presentation and conversation, Dr. Jerry R. Wright will address our “fate” from a religious and depth psychological perspective, and will suggest a way forward through our collective darkness. This will require an honest depth psychological appraisal of our inherited religions, especially the three monotheisms – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This appraisal must include a courageous reimagining of the meanings of “god and religion.” Dr. Wright will propose that this is our most urgent task as a species.
The Saturday workshop will expand and personalize the Friday night themes. Drawing on the relatively new insights of Jungian psychology, ancient mystical traditions, and the discoveries of modern science, Dr. Wright will propose an alternative path forward that will be inclusive, intellectually and scientifically honest, and soul-satisfying. The new path will have the character of a grounded, embodied, mysticism, an image that will be examined for its individual and collective applications.
​While the analytical psychology of Carl Gustav Jung will be the primary lens for the two events, a thorough knowledge of Jungian psychology will not be required for full participation.
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​Objectives
Participants will be able to:
Friday Objectives
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Compare the major contributions and major criticisms of the three major monotheistic religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
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Describe the “myth of consciousness” growing out of Analytical or Jungian Psychology and critique its relevance for the modern/postmodern mind and ancient soul.
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Considering our western culture as a potential patient/client for therapy or analysis, describe a possible diagnosis, intervention, and prognosis.
Saturday Objectives
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Describe your own religious/spiritual background and the various meanings of ‘god’ and ‘religion’ that have held meaning for you.
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Describe what is meant by a grounded embodied mysticism and compare its potential meanings in theological and psychological terms.
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List or name ways that a “Practical Mysticism” might address our current crises, including climate change, terror and violence, and the denigration of feminine values.
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Describe how the myth of Circe has evolved over the eons and what that might mean for an individual’s journey toward wholeness.
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Utilize the myth of Circe to identify projections and complexes that might trigger anger and frustration.
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Discuss shadow and how the radical denial of feminine/masculine traits and projection onto the other contribute to anxiety and depression.
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Describe implications for counseling and the therapeutic process.
As long as our deities and devils are perceived to be beyond the physical domain and outside the human psyche, our species will continue to do great harm to ourselves, to each other, and to our global nest.
—Jerry R. Wright, Reimagining God and Religion, 2018
Jerry Wright, DMin
Jungian Analyst, Diplomate of Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts
Dr. Jerry R. Wright is a Jungian analyst in private practice in Flat Rock, NC, and offers lectures, retreats, and workshops on themes related to depth psychology and spirituality. In addition, he has led pilgrimages to sacred sites around the world, including Iona, Scotland; Ireland; Machu Picchu, Peru; India; and SE Asia – Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. He is a training analyst with the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts (IRSJA), and the author of Reimagining God and Religion: Essays for the Psychologically Minded (Chiron, 2018)
Registration is closed.
NBCC Continuing Education Credits
Friends of Jung-South has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, AECP #6859. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Friends of Jung-South is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Friends of Jung-South Membership
Members support the continuing mission of FOJS, and enjoy the camaraderie of a regional group of others with shared interests. Discounted rates for events are offered to members. It is not necessary to pay dues to attend events. Annual membership dues are $20 and renew each January. Members may join at any time during the year.
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Click here to pay with a major credit or debit card via PayPal. ​To pay by mail, please send check with your name, address, phone number, and email address to Friends of Jung-South, P.O. Box 130342, 3900 Montclair Rd. FL1, Birmingham, AL 35213-9998.